The Baltimore Ravens, of the National Football League, are letting two global powerhouses of football/soccer/futbol borrow their stadium for a showcase clash tomorrow night. FC Barcelona will take on AC Milan in a friendly at M&T Bank Stadium, and they’ll do so without the services of several key players, for a handful of different reasons. We start with Oriol Romeu, who has departed the tour of the United States.
Romeu, who has proven to be a quality squad player when called upon in the middle of the par, is finalizing his move back to Girona.
Preseason Friendly FYIs
FC Barcelona vs AC Milan, the “Soccer Champions Tour”
Kickoff (local time): Tue. Aug 6, 7:30 pm, M&T Bank Stadium, Baltimore, MD, USA
Team News: FC Barcelona AC Milan
Starting XI Predictions: FC Barcelona AC Milan
Transatlantic Passage: How the Premier League Redefined Soccer in America: LINK
FC Barcelona Team News
The Blaugrana will also be without some key players due to international service to Spain; in two different competitions. Pau Cubarsi, Fermin Lopez and Eric Garcia are currently away at the 2024 Paris Olympic games.
Meanwhile Lamine Yamal and Ferran Torres enjoyed their post Euro 2024 holiday, as they helped Espana claim another championship in that competition. The two reported back to the training base in Catalonia today, instead of joining the tour.
Elsewhere, central defender Jules Kounde is back with the club, having featured for France in the same competition.
Injuries were certainly a theme of last season, and the story seems to be repeating itself this year. You can add Brazilian youngster Vitor Roque (ankle) to that group now.
Meanwhile Gavi (ACL) is still out for a long while yet.
Also unlikely to feature here, due to injury, are Ansu Fati (foot problem), Ronald Araujo (hamstring/thigh issue), Pedri (knee injury) and Dutchman Frenkie de Jong (ankle issue).
Paul M. Banks is the Founding Editor of The Sports Bank. He’s also the author of “Transatlantic Passage: How the English Premier League Redefined Soccer in America,” and “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry.”
He currently contributes to Ravens Wire, part of the USA Today SMG’s NFL Wire Network and the Internet Baseball Writers Association of America. His past bylines include the New York Daily News, Sports Illustrated, Chicago Tribune and the Washington Times. You can follow him on Linked In and Twitter.